Participants from over 25 countries received training in tobacco industry monitoring, research, and accountability from the University of Bath. The Tobacco Control Research Group (TCRG), part of the University’s Centre for 21st Century Public Health, delivered their annual tobacco control training course from 6 – 10 July 2026.
TCRG welcomed 22 in-person participants and 37 online participants to take part in the comprehensive five-day training programme. Delivery of this annual course is a crucial part of the team’s mission to strengthen global tobacco control efforts with the ultimate aim of contributing to a decline in tobacco use.
The 2026 course was the ninth edition of the Tobacco Industry Monitoring, Research, and Accountability (TIMRA) course, also known as TIMRA. The course is designed to equip professionals, with the skills and tools needed to monitor, investigate, and report on tobacco industry activities, in alignment with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
The participants came from a wide range of backgrounds and professions, including academia, advocacy, law, and medical professions. A number of participants from low- and middle-income countries who were unable to access alternative sources of funding received scholarships to attend the course funded by TCRG’s grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Participants engaged in a dynamic mix of lectures, hands-on workshops, and peer-led learning sessions. The curriculum covers investigative skills, AI and big data, international regulations, corporate influence on science, digital safety, and strategies for impact and communications.
Dr Raouf Alebshehy, Managing Editor of TCRG’s Tobacco Tactics platform, comments:
Our TIMRA course continues to be a fantastic opportunity to bring together members of the international tobacco control community, enabling all of us to strengthen our skills and learn from one another. It was, as always, encouraging to see such high levels of engagement throughout the sessions, with participants driving insightful discussions. Many thanks to our dedicated team and external guests for their outstanding efforts in delivering yet another successful TIMRA course.
Participants praised the course for its depth, relevance and for providing an opportunity to share the challenges they face in their countries and the ways in which they are tackling them. Previous TIMRA participants have gone on to build similar tobacco control training initiatives in their countries, developed new platforms to monitor tobacco industry interference in their regions and supported the development of local and national tobacco control policies.
Dr. Temur Fouad Khan, a 2026 course participant, summarises:
Thank you so much for such an amazing week. It was a truly enriching experience and I really appreciated the insightful lectures, engaging discussions and the effort that went into organizing the program. I learned a great deal over these five days and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to participate.